Nyla May Bradshaw was found in a pond on Owston Hall golf course (Image: -)
A seven-year-old girl drowned in a pond just hours after being dropped off at Facebook-recommended childminders, according to a family friend. Nyla May Bradshaw went missing in the Skellow area of Doncaster just before 10am on Monday.
She was found in a pond on Owston Hall golf course after an extensive search, including police drones and aircraft. Her mother, Hayley Beardsley, had left her non-verbal autistic daughter with a specialist SEND childminder for the very first time that morning, at 7.45am. Charlotte Emma told Metro: “A lot of us blame ourselves because Hailey doesn’t usually leave her with anybody, she goes to a special school.
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“But the school holidays have come up, and her mum was desperate for a child minder. She’d asked a Facebook group if anybody knew of any in the area.”
Ms Beardsley was referred to a childminder who had only obtained her licence in January and claimed to specialise in autism, charging £160 a day.
But less than two hours after the drop-off, she received a text saying Nyla had gone missing and police were on their way.
The friend added: “Hayley assumed that they were staying in all day with somebody like Nyla, who has got complex needs.
“The mother feels completely left alone. Everyone is blaming the parents, but they were both working hard – she was with a childminder.
“The one thing that her mum explicitly said was, ‘Please don’t take my daughter out anywhere.”
‘Pur whole world full of love, laughter, and the brightest smile that could light up any room’ (Image: PA)
Ms Beardsley posted an emotional tribute on Facebook as she remembered: “The brightest smile that could light up any room.”
She wrote: “It breaks my heart to write this, but today we lost our beautiful daughter Nyla May Bradshaw at just 7 years old.
“She was our whole world, full of love, laughter, and the brightest smile that could light up any room. She brought so much joy into our lives and into the lives of everyone who knew her.”
A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “Yesterday, Monday 30 March, officers responded to the death of a child in Doncaster…Officers and additional resources, including police drones and the police aircraft, were deployed.
“Following an extensive search, the child was located in a pond on Owston Hall golf course.
“Sadly, despite the best efforts of emergency services colleagues, they were pronounced deceased.
“The child’s family has been informed and is being supported by our officers. The thoughts of everybody at SYP are with them at this devastating time.”
Anyone with information is asked to report online or call 101 quoting incident number 198 of March 30.